Made with a few star ingredients — namely potatoes, cheese and butter — pommes aligot is the creamier, cheesier and more decadent sibling of mashed potatoes. This classic French recipe is the epitome of comfort food with an irresistibly gooey, cheesy consistency.
Culinary Arts Lead Chef-Instructor Cyril Kabaoglu learned this pommes aligot recipe while working in the French Alps. “That was a very popular dish. We would make it about 40 times per service. So I had a very strong right arm!”
When preparing this recipe, Chef Cyril recommends using Tomme de Savoie cheese, which is made from raw milk. “The cheese is fresh and less aged. Thus, it melts even better,” he says. Other more widely accessible cheeses like Swiss, Fontina or Comté also add rich flavor and melt well for the ideal velvety consistency.
The warm, creamy potatoes pair well with foods that are either braised or sautéed. “I would serve pommes aligot with short ribs or a nice pork chop,” he says.
This hearty dish is commonly eaten in the mountainous areas of France in regions like Savoie, as it's perfect for the colder winter months.
Ingredients
- 675 grams Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
- 3 whole garlic cloves, peeled
- 120 grams unsalted butter, cubed
- 240 milliliters heavy cream, warm
- 350 grams grated cheese (Swiss, Fontina or Comté)
Directions
- Fill a large pot with cold salted water. Add the potatoes and garlic, and boil over medium-high heat for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and drain.
- Remove the garlic cloves and place the potatoes in a potato ricer secured over a medium sauce pot. Rice the potatoes until finely grated. Add the butter into the potato ricer and grate.
- Meanwhile, in a small sauce pot, warm the heavy cream until it just begins to simmer. Remove from the heat and slowly add into the potatoes. Stir to combine.
- Over medium-low heat, slowly begin adding the grated cheese while vigorously stirring the mixture with a wooden spoon or a heatproof spatula until it has fully melted and reached a thicker, stringy consistency. Serve immediately.
